


autumn leaves and a derry breeze

by teddysbear



Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Losers Club (IT) Friendship, M/M, Reddie, Stenbrough, The Losers Club (IT) Stay in Derry, They all live, modern college au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-06
Updated: 2020-01-08
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:21:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,742
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22144030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teddysbear/pseuds/teddysbear
Summary: "It was there, in the bed of Beverly's truck, that Richie had his first real kiss. It was as sloppy as anyone would imagine a kiss in the bed of a fast-moving truck between two (slightly) drunk bodies would be, and both of the boys had bruises to show it. It wasn't anything spectacular like the movies always showed - no stars overhead, no music in the background, just a cloudy night sky, wailing police sirens, and lots of potholes."in simpler terms: a light-hearted losers club college au where everyone is gay or trans
Relationships: Ben Hanscom/Beverly Marsh, Bill Denbrough/Stanley Uris, Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier, Henry Bowers/Patrick Hockstetter
Kudos: 21





	1. first day of school

Eddie cursed loudly as he tripped over his shoelaces, already late for his first class. His books flew everywhere, a few landing in the mud beside him and others landing open-faced on the concrete, sending loose pages flying in the wind.

"Careful there Spaghetti," an all-too-familiar and slightly nasally voice called out. Eddie looked up to see a messy mop of black hair and oversized glasses coolly leaning against a tree a few feet ahead, cigarette hanging between his fingers.

"You shouldn't be smoking, Richie. That's gonna -"

"Kill me, I know. Hope it starts working soon," he half-joked, coughing as he took another drag.

"Idiot."

"Yeah I tried. Thought cigarettes would give me a cooler look. Make me look hot and mysterious. Turns out they're just fucking disgusting," he put the cigarette out on the tree trunk before he spat on the grass.

Eddie scrambled to his feet clumsily, almost falling again as he reached for the nearest textbook. 

“You gonna help or are you just gonna stand there?” he half-shouted as he tried to wipe mud off of the cover of his Marine Environment textbook.

“The plan was to watch. I’m enjoying the view” Richie laughed as he moved towards Eddie. “It would help if you tie your shoes, dumbass.”

He knelt at the shorter boy’s feet and tied his shoes slowly, looking up at Eddie as he finished.

Eddie couldn’t keep eye contact for long, his gaze shifted upwards to the clouds above him then over to the tree where Richie was previously standing. He wasn’t sure what was making him so out of breath - his heart was pounding and his hands suddenly felt very cold. It must be his asthma.

When he glanced down back at Richie, he saw him knelt on one knee, a scarily sincere look on his face as he furrowed his brows tightly and spoke in a deep voice.

“Mr. Edward Tight-Panties Kaspbrak, would you do me the oh-so-wonderful honor of being my -”

Eddie kicked him in the shin.

“Shit! What was that for?” Richie sat back.

Eddie paused before speaking, his mouth turning upwards into a goofy grin.

“You know I’m already married to your mother, asswipe.” He yelled before sprinting off to his class, Richie following close behind him, laughing and yelling a variety of obscenities as he completely disregarded the rest of the campus.

The two ran for about a minute and a half, but it felt like time stopped for both of them. The fall leaves were a blur in the background as Eddie's hair flew behind him, his bag bouncing up and down as the two boys' screaming laughter filled the air around them.

They stopped when Eddie reached his class, leaning against the wall as they caught their breath and gently pushed each other.

Eddie took a few puffs of his inhaler before entering his classroom, and Richie sat on the bench outside of the door.

“I’ll be here when you’re out” he waved as Eddie closed the door behind him.

Richie sighed as he leaned his head back against the wall, his heart still racing from running after Eddie. The two had been friends since middle school, united against a common enemy (middle school bullies were the worst breed of humans, they both decided). The two annoyed the shit out of each other, and had gotten kicked out of their fair share of movie theaters and restaurants for being too noisy. They were the only two people in their friend group that had never dated anyone before (everyone joked that they should just date each other), and both boys were personally insulted by that statement.  _ Yeah I’m gay, but I would rather date my mom than date Richie,  _ Eddie would always say. Ouch. That one always hurt. 

Richie made out with a girl once at a high school graduation party, but he didn’t count that as a first kiss or anything. Both him and the girl were drunk, her lips felt weird, and he ended up vomiting on her a few minutes into the kiss. Not his brightest moment. 

Richie didn’t know if Eddie had ever kissed anyone before. He didn’t really talk about romance, which everyone assumed was because he was gay and didn’t want to “weird anyone out” with that, but nobody in the group cared about him being gay (in fact, most of them discovered they were part of the LGBT community in some way). Richie knew Eddie didn’t say anything about intimate experiences because he never had any. 

A halo of red hair sat beside him, pulling Richie out of his thoughts. 

“Hey Rich,” Beverly smiled. The two knew each other in middle school but didn’t grow close until their English class in sophomore year of high school - the two bonded over their unbridled hatred for George Orwell.

“Bev!” Richie chimed, “Your voice has gotten a lot higher since the summer.”

“Yeah, I’ll be a year on E tomorrow!” Her face lit up.

“Oh really? That’s great!” Richie knew this already, in fact the rest of the group already planned a surprise party for her after they finished their classes tomorrow. 

The red-haired girl smiled at her swinging feet as she leaned her head against his shoulder. The two of them sat like that for a while, and Richie ended up falling asleep before abruptly waking up to the door beside him opening. 

He sat up and yawned when Eddie stepped outside, noticing the boy was missing the stack of textbooks he entered the classroom with. Richie chose not to say anything. 

“Hey Beverly!” He spoke a little too loudly. “Asshole.” He nodded towards Richie, his shift in tone humorously exaggerated. 

“Hi fuckface.” Richie retorted. 

“You two are cute,” Beverly joked.

“I’d rather lick my own asshole.” Eddie laughed.

Richie stared at his shoes. 

It wasn’t like him to not have a comeback, and he wasn’t sure what held him back. He hoped the other two hadn’t noticed. 

Richie and Beverly stood up before the trio moved towards the cafeteria. Eddie and Beverly had an hour before their Statistics class together, and Richie had the day off. The three of them took two steps into the building, looked around at the large mass of loud people, and turned around in sync as they left the cafeteria. 

“I packed us all lunches, anyways.” Stanley was waiting outside for them, with the rest of the group holding matching paper bags. “Peanut butter and jelly, salt and vinegar chips, a fruit cup, granola bar, and Reese’s Pieces.” He spoke as he distributed the remaining bags to the three of them. 

“So what’s the plan, Bill?” Mike turned towards the second shortest member of the group. Bill used to be one of the tallest, along with Stan. Everyone thought it was funny to see how their heights changed over the years. They created notches on a wooden post in their clubhouse to track their growth. Bill stopped growing their junior year of high school. 

Bill shrugged as he started walking, everyone else following suit as they started digging in their lunch bags. 

They all chattered amongst themselves about their classes, what they liked about them and what they didn’t, and Richie loudly retold the story about Eddie falling on his face before class. They walked aimlessly like this for about an hour before they found themselves splitting off for their next classes. 

mselves splitting off for their next classes.


	2. a study on sparrows

Stanley was perched at his desk, his posture erect and heels lifted from the floor, softly drumming his fingers on the wood as he sat deep in thought. His eyelids were carefully closed - he looked serene from afar but anyone up close could easily notice how his eyes were ready to snap open any second and how his breaths slightly shook. 

His roommate always noticed, but never said a word. He knew Stanley preferred to be alone in this headspace. 

A flutter of wings outside snapped the boy out of his trance as he quietly reached for his journal, holding his breath as to not scare the bird on his windowsill away. Eddie watched from his bed as Stanley’s focus grew more intense. The curly haired boy flew his pencil across the page, jotting down notes and sketches on the bird’s appearance and demeanor without removing his eyes from the white-crowned sparrow in front of him. He moved in a focused frenzy, his eyes perfectly still, his sketches purposeful, and his notes detailed as ever. The door to their dorm room abruptly burst open, disrupting the two from their focus and sending the bird away in a flurry, much to the disappointment and frustration of both boys in the room. 

Richie never knocked. 

Stanley rolled his eyes as he turned around, smiling to himself at how Eddie’s face lit up. The boy’s cheeks were so red they practically made the room glow. Richie’s glow matched. He didn’t know how either one of them could be so oblivious. Everyone knew they were in love. 

“Just got back from fucking your mom,” Richie grinned, “do you wanna go grab a bite?”

“Shut the fuck up, asshole,” Eddie’s tone was brutal. His voice softened before he spoke again. “Yeah I could go for some tacos.” 

Richie belly-flopped onto Eddie’s bed, sending papers flying everywhere and earning himself a string of loud obscenities and shrieks from Eddie, and the two began to wrestle as they shouted awful insults at each other. All in good spirit, obviously. 

Stanley leaned back in his chair and observed the ceiling, waiting for the invite he knew he wasn’t going to get. He pulled out his phone to message Bill. 

_ Saw a sparrow a few minutes ago. She was lovely. - Stan x _

_ really?! white-throated, song, or chipping? _

Stanley smiled. He invited Bill to birdwatch with him on multiple occasions, but never expected Bill to memorize any of the species. Stanley knew his rambles could be a bore. He always felt insecure about his position in their group - everyone seemed to have a role except for him. Richie was loud and funny, Eddie was constantly stressed about something and constantly bickering with Richie, Ben was the soft new kid with a heart of gold, Beverly was the powerhouse of the group, Mike was the brains, Bill was their leader, and Stan was, well, Stan. 

He never felt inadequate or plain around Bill, though. Bill made him feel whole and unique and seen and heard and real. 

_ None of those. White-Crowned. Perched on my windowsill and bounced around a little bit. Probably having a small rest before going back to her nest. See you at seven? - Stan x _

He shut off his phone and cleared his throat, leaving Richie and Eddie a blushing mess in a pile of crumpled papers and broken pencils. 

“Have fun at dinner, lovebirds.” Stanley waved the back of his hand at the boys and shook his head as they dove into another argument, both flustered out of their minds. 

It was so obvious. 

He remembered when he and Bill were like that, oblivious, that is. They never shouted insults at each other or fought, but they had their share of yearning and pining over a love they both thought was unrequited. 

Stan and Bill started dating in their junior year of high school, but they kept their relationship private during high school since rural Maine was never the most accepting environment. The dynamic of their group didn’t change, though. Most of the Losers thought Stan and Bill were already dating before Bill told them.

Stanley put his journal and a few pencils into his bookbag and wiped off the desk before standing up, neatly pushing the chair back into its proper position. He grabbed a baby blue cardigan from the closet before turning towards Eddie and Richie. 

“Clean up your mess before you leave, yeah?”

“Sure thing,  _ Mom _ .” The boys giggled as Stan rolled his eyes. 

Stanley and Bill met up in the courtyard by the English wing every Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday evening for a picnic dinner. It was always their favorite time of the week. Their schedules were drastically different, which made any time they spent together that much more precious. 

The cool evening breeze tangled his curls as he admired the clouds whilst waiting for Bill in their meeting spot, a large Balsam fir in the middle of a patch of dead grass. He smiled as he saw Bill approach from across the courtyard a red flannel blanket tucked under one arm and a basket in his hand. 

Stanley leaned against the tree behind him as Bill approached and kissed him on the cheek. The courtyard was always empty at around this time and it made the boys feel safe - as if they were in their own private world. Songs of Hermit Thrush and Common Nightingales filled the air, and the occasional rustling of tree branches in the wind created a perfect symphony in the background. 

Bill spread out the blanket before the two of them sat down, and Stanley took out his journal, two flashlights, and a copy of  _ The Goldfinch _ for Bill to read. Stanley wasn’t particularly gifted at drawing, but he enjoyed the activity nonetheless, and that was what he was planning on doing tonight. The two sat next to each other shoulder-to-knee as they began eating the food Bill packed (just sandwiches, oranges, and juice boxes - nothing fancy), holding hands as they did so. Every once in a while Stan would give Bill’s hand a small squeeze and he would reply with the same. 

Their relationship was simple, but both boys found its simplicity to be completely perfect. 

After the two finished eating, Bill began reading and Stanley began to draw. He bit his lip as he focused, shifting his position so he could see Bill more clearly. His journal was filled with sketches of Bill, but none of them were particularly noteworthy (although he still liked to look them over whenever he missed him). 

The two sat focused on their own activities for a while, and every thirty minutes or so Stan would check in with Bill and ask him what part of the book he reached. After continuing for another hour, the two put down their respective books and shifted closer together. Stanley yawned as he rested his head in Bill’s lap. 

“D-d-do you want to s-spend the night t-t-togeth…” Bill trailed off. 

Stan smiled, “Of course. You can come to my dorm.”

“It’s quieter.” The two spoke in unison and smiled together. 

Bill roomed with Richie, and Richie was never known for being quiet or reserved. Bill pulled out his phone to text Richie the plan, and Stan did the same to notify Eddie. Rooming together was the only rule that Stan and Bill ever broke, and it took a lot of convincing to get Stanley on board with it. 

Bill was never afraid to take risks, and Stan was always more level-headed. Bill was disorganized, Stanley was always neat. Bill was emotional and Stan was too, but Stanley was afraid to show his emotions in public. Both boys had their own anxieties and insecurities, but they always balanced each other out. They always balanced each other out, and both of them were completely comfortable being vulnerable around the other. They made each other feel safe( even when Bill would break the rules, much to Stanley’s dismay), and that was what was most important to them. 

It was well worth breaking these rules to both of them, though, and it took a lot to convince Stanley Uris to break the rules. They both missed sleeping in the same bed when they were younger, which was a frequent occurrence after Bill’s little brother went missing.  Sometimes they would wake up holding hands (on nights where Bill would confuse Stan for his little brother and become the big spoon), and both of them would lie there in the morning pretending to be asleep so they could hold on a little bit longer . Once they started dating they would purposefully hold hands under the covers or under the pillow, depending on how they were sleeping. 

Stanley missed feeling Bill’s warmth as he fell asleep. Sometimes he would bunch up his blanket and place it behind him to mimic Bill’s form, but it was never the same, which is what made their impromptu rule-breaking sleepovers that much more exciting. 


End file.
